This Saturday 24th June sees the Eisteddfod Proclamation Ceremony in Aberdare.
Traditionally, the Gorsedd proclaims the Eisteddfod’s intention to visit an area at least a year and a day before the beginning of the festival. This is when the List of Competitions is published, which includes information for anyone wishing to compete this year.
The Archdruid, the head of the Gorsedd, leads this traditional ceremony, and the chair of the local executive committee presents the first copy of the List of Competitions to the Archdruid. Once the list has been presented, the competitions will be made public and copies will go on sale in shops across Wales as well as at the event itself.
In line with tradition, a procession is held in the early afternoon, including representatives from a wide range of local organisations and Gorsedd Cymru, to welcome the Eisteddfod to the area, and to welcome the area to the Eisteddfod.
A group of children from the area will also be taking part in the ceremony, performing a colourful dance based on the patterns of collecting flowers from the meadows and fields. The children have been rehearsing for weeks and will be performing for the first time in the ceremony.
Gorsedd ceremonies form a part of the much wider Eisteddfod festival which is a colourful, welcoming, friendly and inclusive celebration of our language and culture.
Micro-local pilot projects in Rhondda Cynon Taf
We’ve been working at the grassroots level in Rhondda Cynon Taf for a number of months, paving the way for the 2024 National Eisteddfod.
Our aim is to use the Eisteddfod to attract people to our language, culture and heritage. We’ve received a grant from the National Lottery’s Heritage Fund, and we’ve been working with groups across the catchment area over the last few months.
Our community officer, Katie Hall leads our projects across the region, and Catrin Doyle worked as our local co-ordinator for a few months.
Here’s a taste of some of the projects so far:
- Coleg y Cymoedd Welsh Week
- High Street: Treorchy 1928
- On the Doorstep
- Historic Walks
- Machlud Haf
Our project focuses on Welsh learners, people who are new to our language, have lost touch with the language or haven’t started learning yet. We also work with communities, groups and schools at a micro-local level in the area.
Much of the work focuses on Aberdare, Pontypridd and Treorchy, as the Eisteddfod has visited these towns, as well as Mountain Ash. Our work then opens up to the surrounding areas to make sure we reach as many people as possible.
Our language, culture and heritage belong to everyone, and we want to encourage local people to come to the Eisteddfod, and as the preparations get underway for the Rhondda Cynon Taf National Eisteddfod, the two projects will work hand in hand across the county.
http://eisteddfod.wales/national-eisteddfod-wales
